courteous

[kur-tee-uhs] / ˈkɜr ti əs /

ADJECTIVE

gentle, mannerly

Synonyms

STRONGEST

affable attentive civil civilized considerate courtly gracious polite respectful soft-spoken thoughtful well-behaved well-mannered well-spoken

WEAK

ceremonious complaisant cultivated debonair elegant gallant genteel polished refined suave urbane well-bred

Antonyms

STRONGEST

discourteous disrespectful heedless impolite inattentive inconsiderate mean rude thoughtless uncivil unkind unmannerly unmindful unrefined

WEAK

bad-mannered uncourteous

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Another took a similar courteous tone: “Erica, queen of them all… please let the mister give it one more go!”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

Robinson has urged his attendees not to wear masks or drink excessive alcohol, and to be "peaceful and courteous".

From Barron's • May 16, 2026

Remember to be a courteous visitor when viewing wildflowers.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

“Greenland, and the sovereign state Denmark, have always been courteous and responsive hosts going back many decades,” said Stavridis.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 13, 2026

So he was courteous then and he said, “Well, and my cousin, welcome to your home again.”

From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck

Vocabulary lists containing courteous

The Diary of Anne Frank

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